Desperate Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Issa Hayatou met with Zambian President Edgar Lungu and promised that Zambia may get a chance to host the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than the 2025 window if any of the already guaranteed hosts withdraws.

The meeting comes at a time Hayatou is canvassing for votes ahead of CAF presidential elections set for Thursday in Ethiopia.

Hayatou faces his greatest challenge in a reign drawing close to three decades as he comes up against Madagascar FA president Ahmad Ahmad whose election manager Zimbabwe Football Association boss Philip Chiyangwa.

The Cameroonian football administrator said that Zambia had impressed CAF with the manner they had organized the just ended Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

The CAF President had a meeting with the Zambian Head of State Edgar Lungu and expressed his gratitude at the level of support government had given to the country’s hosting of the tournament.

“Zambia met all our requirements; let them start procedure once the bid is open, but if any country fails, we won’t even request for bid, we shall directly give Zambia to host,” Hayatou said.

Hosts for the Africa Cup of Nations have already been lined up to 2023 but some countries have in the recent past withdrawn at the last minute giving an opportunity to standby hosts to step in.

President Lungu made it clear that Zambia would jump at any opportunity to host a bigger tournament after the success of the 2017 U-20 tournament.

“Zambia has never had a chance to host a senior tournament and the junior tournament was the first, give us a chance to host,” Lungu said.

Zambia hosted and won the 2017 U-20 Africa Cup after beating Senegal 2-0.